A number of inventions regarding the molding and baking of unleavening batter resulting in wafer-like confections such as ice cream cones and the like have been described in the prior art, e.g., McKibben, U.S. Pat. No. 1,794,238. Other inventions have dealt With the molding and baking of pie crusts, including Voelker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,057, Stutzner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,064, and Wing U.S. Pat. No. 987,525.
It has been found desirable to mold or form dough into different shapes which can be baked and marketed as novelty items and/or as substitutes for dishes. "Dough" as used herein means leavened or leavening doughs or batters. Many prior art apparatuses and techniques mold and bake dough of breads, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods into various shapes including containers which may be used to hold other foods. For example, Savage, U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,323, discloses a method for molding and baking cookie dough into a cupped shape which can then be used to hold ice cream or other confection. Brummett et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,243, discloses a method for preparing pizza crust. Turner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,296,956, discloses a molding and baking apparatus for the baking of bread dough into a cup-like shape. White, U.S. Pat. 1,487,906, discloses a pan for baking cake dough into a container shape for holding ice cream. Other prior art references of interest include Huth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,510,279, and Rateson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,274,349.
It has been found desirable to facilitate the partial escape of moisture from these apparatuses in order to develop a degree of porosity in the final baked product. At the same time, however, the dough must absorb some moisture to prevent excessive dehydration. It therefore becomes necessary to contain the dough at a pressure sufficient to limit the extent to which water is converted to steam, since the dough absorbs steam less easily than water, while allowing for a degree of conversion and escape. The dough must also be contained to prevent the escape of the dough itself due to its expansion during baking.
Some prior art systems, such as those disclosed in Turner and White, simply allow for the escape of gases without regard to the fact that dough will tend to escape by the same means. Huth and Rateson likewise do not attempt to prevent the escape of dough, but rather provide sharp edges on the perimeter of their baking containers which cut off the dough that does escape in order to form a visually pleasing final product. Savage does not deal with the problem at all. Brummett addresses the problem by providing a lower mold into which an upper mold tightly fits. The fit between the molds ideally is tight enough to prevent the escape of dough but not so tight as to prevent the partial escape of moisture from the apparatus. Though this apparatus is effective when the proper level of pressure between the molds is attained, taking into account cooking temperature, duration, and type of dough, it will be appreciated that the exact pressure exerted by the fit is difficult to determine, and that it is similarly difficult precisely to adjust the pressure pursuant to differing circumstances.
Savage discloses various advantages of differential heat application in these apparatuses, including uniform baking and gas dispersion